title: Self-reported sleep disturbances in renal transplant recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Poor sleep quality (SQ) and daytime sleepiness (DS) are common in renal transplant (RTx) recipients; however, related data are rare. This study describes the prevalence and frequency of self-reported sleep disturbances in RTx recipients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study included 249 RTx recipients transplanted at three Swiss transplant centers. All had reported poor SQ and / or DS in a previous study. With the Survey of Sleep (SOS) self-report questionnaire, we screened for sleep and health habits, sleep history, main sleep problems and sleep-related disturbances. To determine a basis for preliminary sleep diagnoses according to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD), 164 subjects were interviewed (48 in person, 116 via telephone and 85 refused). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data and to determine the frequencies and prevalences of specific sleep disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample had a mean age of 59.1 ± 11.6 years (60.2% male); mean time since Tx was 11.1 ± 7.0 years. The most frequent sleep problem was difficulty staying asleep (49.4%), followed by problems falling asleep (32.1%). The most prevalent sleep disturbance was the need to urinate (62.9%), and 27% reported reduced daytime functionality. Interview data showed that most suffered from the first ICSD category: insomnias.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Though often disregarded in RTx recipients, sleep is an essential factor of wellbeing. Our findings show high prevalences and incidences of insomnias, with negative impacts on daytime functionality. This indicates a need for further research on the clinical consequences of sleep disturbances and the benefits of insomnia treatment in RTx recipients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nursing Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. sabina.degeest@unibas.ch.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Burkhalter
authors.forename: Daniel P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Brunner
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wirz-Justice
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cajochen
authors.forename: Terri E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.forename: Jürg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steiger
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fehr
authors.forename: Reto M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Venzin
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Geest
mesh_terms: D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome